Cut Fatty-Food Cravings with This Mineral

By RealAge


Give yourself the power to say no to waist-padding foods by adding this to your diet: a calcium and vitamin D supplement.

When female dieters did this in a recent study, they ate fewer fatty foods and lost four times more weight than the women who didn't take the supplement.

Keep the Calcium Coming
Why might a calcium supplement help? Researchers theorize that when your calcium intake is too low, your body may start craving foods rich in the mineral. And, unfortunately, many foods high in calcium are also high in fat and calories (think ice cream and full-fat cheese). But the women in the study who were getting the least calcium (less than 600 milligrams per day) lost not only more weight but also more body fat while taking a supplement. Here's a low-fat dairy food just bursting with calcium.

Why Both Is Best
When you take vitamin D with calcium, your body absorbs more of the calcium, so a combo supplement is best. Find out how much calcium and D you need. Try these additional tips for slimming down faster:

Have a clear goal.
Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100, setting a goal and tracking your progress will help you get there. Use this online tracking tool to reach your weight loss goal.
Eat for the right reason. If you're eating because you're depressed rather than hungry, you need to understand yourself in order to stop.

Move your feet.
A walk every day helps melt the pounds away. Find out how quickly you can walk off the fat.

Courtesy: RealAge Newsletter

FFFF (Frighteningly Fat Fall Foods)

When the temperature starts to dip, many of us turn to rich fall foods – perfect for football games, hayrides, cozy fireside meals, and, if we aren't careful, weight gain. Take a look at some of fall's most fattening foods. Find tips on how to avoid or improve them so you can make it to Thanksgiving without gaining a pound.

Game-Day Grub
Game-day favorites – chips, nachos, hot dogs, pizza, wings, ribs, and beer – spoil many diets. If you're a sports fan, you may be glued to the couch for hours every week. Try these tips:

Do some push-ups, sit-ups, or jumping jacks during halftime or commercials.
Watch the game while you pedal your stationary bike.
Serve veggies and low-fat dip as part of your spread.

Oktoberfest Fare
Oktoberfest celebrates fall with calorie-laden beer, sausages, and potato salads. Two weight-saving tips:

Eat smaller portions.
Decide how many alcoholic drinks you’re going to have beforehand, then alternate them with nonalcoholic beverages.
One 12-ounce regular beer has 150 calories. Make it a light beer and you'll trim 40 calories.

Cream Soups and Hearty Stews
Cream of potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, and beef stroganoff may seem like perfect fall foods, but beware. Warm soups and stews that are loaded with cream, cheese, or meat are also loaded with calories. If you serve them in a bread bowl or atop rice or noodles, you add even more calories. Tip:

Choose broth-based and vegetable-based soups and stews to fill you up for fewer calories.

Seasonal Beverages
Fall drinks – hot chocolate, pumpkin-spice lattes, eggnog, apple cider, and hot toddies – are a quick and easy way to take in lots of extra calories. A cup of homemade hot cocoa (without whipped cream) has 190 calories. One 8-oz cup of eggnog packs 340 calories. Tips:

Try a hot cup of green or flavored tea, rich with antioxidants and calorie-free.
Opt for light beer or wine spritzers, and limit yourself to one or two.

Carmel Apples
An afternoon snack of apples with a thick layer of caramel and nuts can total more than 500 calories. Tip:

Enjoy crisp apple slices with a small container of low-fat caramel dip for the same great taste -- with a fraction of the fat and calories.

Halloween Candy – Frightening!
October brings bowls of candy bars at the office – and tempting bags of candy at home awaiting trick-or-treaters. It's easy to get enticed by those bite-size candies. But few of us can have just one. Tips:

Stash sweets out of sight.
Satisfy your midday hunger pangs with something nutritious, like fruit.
If you crave something sweet, chew a piece of sugarless gum.

Macaroni and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a favorite comfort food for both kids and adults. But it can wreak havoc with your diet. One cup can pack 300 to 400 calories, depending on the brand. Add sausage or ham and it's even more fattening. Tips:

Modify the recipe by using a low-fat cheese and milk.
Substitute veggies for meat to get more nutrition.
It'll still taste great!

Root Vegetables with Added Fat
Roots like yams and sweet potatoes are super-nutritious, but you quadruple the calories when you mix them with cheese, cream, butter, canned soups, or crispy bacon. A sweet potato casserole can easily have 500 calories per serving -- 400 more than a simple roasted sweet potato. Tips:

Shave calories by eating root veggies oven-roasted or grilled.
If you must have mashed potatoes, skip the gravy and eat just 1/2 cup.

Stuffing
Most stuffing contains high-fat ingredients such as sausage and butter. With gravy, stuffing is diet nightmare. Tips:

Make a low-fat stuffing using fruits, vegetables, and stock.
Keep the portion small, and try to resist smothering it in gravy.
Chew slowly to enjoy each mouthful and allow your brain time to get the signal that you are full.

Apple, Pecan, Sweet Potato Pies
These fall favorites start with healthy ingredients such as nuts or fruits and vegetables. But once you add buttery pie crusts, sweet fillings, and whipped cream or ice cream topping, you have decadent pies full of calories. Tips:

Skip the crust.
Add a dollop of light whipped topping.
Serve yourself only a sliver to enjoy these desserts without lots of extra calories.

Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin layer cake, cheesecake, bread pudding. There are many ways to turn vitamin A-rich pumpkin into a rich dessert. Be careful: If you add tons of cream and sugar, you negate the health benefits of pumpkin. Tip:

Try crustless, low-fat pumpkin custard, or low-fat pumpkin muffins.
Enjoy the pumpkin without sabotaging your waistline.

All Things in Moderation
All it takes is an extra 100 calories per day to pack on 10 pounds a year. The best strategy for your health is to avoid weight creep altogether. You can enjoy comfort foods, but you have to do so in moderation.

Put candy bowls out of sight.
Check your portion sizes.
Limit alcohol.
Use low-fat cooking techniques and substitutions.
Stay active and exercise regularly.
More Reading on Healthy Eating
Super-Fast & Easy Appetizer Recipes
Pizza Made Healthier
Help for Soda Lovers
Video: The Truth About Alcohol
Beginner's Guide to Exercise
Tool: Food Calorie Calculator
Video: Healthy Holiday Foods & Recipes

Courtesy: WebMD.com newsletter

The conclusion (the end?) of STDs

STD 10
I've started seeing this guy I'm crazy about and, yes, we're having sex. Or we were. Now I've got these horrible symptoms. I'm having a lot of greenish yellow, frothy discharge from my vagina. I'm sore all around my vaginal area and upper thighs. My boyfriend is just fine. Is it just me or what?

Answer:

Men usually don't get symptoms of trichomoniasis infection. But if they look early in the morning, infected men may see a slight discharge from the penis. Sometimes, women get only a slight discharge.

The bug that causes trichomoniasis is a protozoon. See a doctor -- both of you. A single treatment almost always does the trick, if both partners are treated at the same time. If you have more than one sex partner, all of your partners must be examined and treated.

STD 11
OK, I had an affair. But I broke it off after just a couple of times. I feel terrible about it. I'll never do it again. Since my wife doesn't know about it, I don't want to hurt her feelings for no reason. Only problem is, about three weeks later I got this sore. Just one of them. It was on my penis, but it didn't hurt at all. I made excuses not to have sex with my wife, and it healed after about a month. I thought it was all over. But now I'm getting these rashes on my palms and soles. Any connection?

Answer:

Syphilis used to be a terrible thing. It still is -- if not treated. The sore on your penis is called a chancre. It's the sign of primary syphilis. Secondary syphilis comes next. The symptoms begin with a rash, usually starting on the palms and soles. These rashes come and go, but cover various places on the body. Mucous membranes may erode in the mouth, penis, vulva, or anus. Hair falls out in patches, leaving a moth-eaten look. And that's still not the worst of it. Untreated syphilis eventually damages the heart and brain. In fact, if you've already got secondary syphilis the germs that cause the disease may already have invaded your brain.

Fortunately, antibiotics cure the disease. You'll have to see a doctor to get diagnosed and treated. And you'll have to tell your wife. If you've had sex with her, she may be infected.

STD 12
I've got a lot of boyfriends. Sure, they get jealous that I sleep with other guys, but I'm not ready to commit to just one person -- or even just one person at a time. Lately, though, I don't feel like seeing anybody. I'm tired all the time and feel like I'm coming down with something. Usually you don't have to call me twice for dinner. Now my appetite is gone, and I feel sick to my stomach. My belly hurts and my urine has kind of a dark color. What's wrong with me?

Answer:

Only half of people who get hepatitis B infection have symptoms. On the other hand, there may other symptoms besides the ones you mention. Some people get rashes or joint pain in the early stages of infection. Some get jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. About one in 100 people get sudden liver failure and may suddenly collapse with fatigue. Symptoms may first appear six weeks to six months after infection.

Having multiple sex partners is a major risk factor for hepatitis B infection. Also at risk are men who have sex with men, injection drug users and their sex partners, and household contacts of people with chronic infection.

The good news is that the vast majority of adults who become infected with hepatitis B will clear the infection on their own. But 2% to 6% of infected adults get chronic, lifelong infection. That's why it's important to see a doctor if you're at risk for hepatitis B infection.

The bad news is there is no specific treatment. Antiviral medications can keep the virus at bay and may even put hepatitis B liver disease into remission.

Fortunately, there is a vaccine. It's now routine for infants; since 1996 more than 80% of U.S. infants have been getting the vaccine. If your sexual behavior puts you at risk of hepatitis B infection, you should get vaccinated.

More STDs (Continued)...

STD 7
I moped around for more than a month after breaking up with my girlfriend. Just when I started feeling like seeing other women again, I noticed this cluster of moist little sacs of flesh near my vagina. Since then it got a bit bigger and turned whitish. It looks like a little cauliflower! I'm very embarrassed. How can I ever have sex with anybody ever again?

Answer:

The virus that causes genital warts spreads by direct skin-to-skin contact. It's called human papillomavirus, or HPV. There are several different kinds of HPV. Some kinds are linked to cervical cancer, although these HPV strains are less likely to cause warts.

Genital warts appear one to six months after HPV infection. There's no cure, but there are treatments. These treatments must be performed or prescribed by a doctor. DO NOT use over-the-counter wart remedies on genital warts. While treatment can make warts go away, they often come back.

It's common to be upset by genital warts. You should avoid sex until all warts are removed. Condoms can prevent HPV spread, but since they do not cover all of the skin that might be affected, they are not totally effective. Having genital warts does not mean your sex life is over.

Although there is no treatment for HPV infection, most people eventually clear the virus on their own -- usually within two years. If you have HPV infection, it's especially important to see your doctor for regular Pap tests to look for cell changes on your cervix that could develop into cancer.

There is an HPV vaccine for women. It will not cure HPV infection or speed clearance of the virus. But it will protect against the strains of the virus that most often cause cancer. The vaccine does the most good before a person becomes sexually active. That's why it's recommended for girls aged 11 to 12 -- and why it can be given as early as age 9.

STD 8
My girlfriend has a few little red bumps around her vulva, but they don't bother her and they didn't stop us from having sex. We use condoms -- but a few weeks back, a few of the same kind of bumps popped up on my groin. Now it's spread to my thighs. The area is a little tender, but it doesn't bother me all that much. I keep waiting for it to go away. Will it?

Answer:

Molluscum contagiosum, once a disease of childhood, is now sexually transmitted among adults. It's caused by a poxvirus called MCV. It can be spread through sexual contact, or by contact with other objects, such as towels, used by an infected person.

The bumps are small, waxy, and round -- often with a little depression in the middle. Each lesion lasts for about six to eight weeks. But since it spreads, it can take two years or more to go away by itself. Your doctor can speed recovery either by surgical or chemical removal of the lesions.

STD 9
We didn't have sex, I swear! OK, my boyfriend and I did sleep together in his bed -- with our clothes off. We spooned a lot, but we didn't go past second base. And that was over a month ago. Now I'm back at school but I've got this itch on my waist, my groin and the lower part of my butt. It's MUCH worse at night when I go to bed. There are some short, wavy lines on the skin, but the worst are these dozens of itchy bumps. There's no way this is an STD, is there?

Answer:

Sex isn't the only way to get scabies. In fact, this skin-mite infection is hard to get from a brief sexual encounter. But prolonged skin contact does spread infection. If it took a month for symptoms to appear, this must be the first time you've had scabies. People who get it more than once get symptoms in only one to four days.

The mites that cause scabies burrow just under the surface of the skin. Females lay eggs that hatch in a few days. The itching is caused by an allergic reaction. You can't get scabies from a brief contact, such as a handshake, but it spreads in households after prolonged contact with infested bedding, carpets, or furniture.

Your doctor can prescribe treatments that will kill the mites. Even after they're dead, you'll still itch for a while. Doctors usually prescribe corticosteroid ointments to relieve this itching. And don't forget that killing the mites means getting rid of mites hiding in your bed, clothing, etc.

(More to come...)

STD (continued)

STD 3
It can't be an STD -- can it? I still think of myself as technically a virgin. I did have sex -- but my lover only put his penis a little way into my vagina. And he doesn't have any symptoms. Maybe this burning feeling when I urinate will just go away. Won't it?

Answer:

Many sexually transmitted diseases can cause this symptom. The most common one is chlamydia [pronounced klah-MID-ee-ya]. Any genital, anal, or, less often, oral contact with infected body fluids can result in infection. In a way, you're lucky. Three-fourths of women -- and half of men -- don't have early symptoms of chlamydia. Left untreated, this bacterial infection can spread to the fallopian tubes. This can leave you unable to have children. There are tests. And there is a cure. If you're sexually active -- even if you don't go "all the way" -- you can still get STDs.

STD 4
Yuck. It's been about a week since I had sex. Boy, does my crotch itch. When I look down there, I've got a blue spot on the skin under my pubic hair. And there are lots of these teensy rust-colored dots. What gives?

Answer:

Those little rust-colored dots -- sometimes they're whitish-gray -- are lice. If you take a closer look with a magnifying glass, you'll see they look like little crabs. You can get crabs during sex. You can also get them by sleeping in the bed of an infested person. The little bugs have three forms: eggs, a larval stage called nits, and adult lice -- the ones that make you itch. The blue spots are a skin reaction to louse bites. Once you've identified crabs, you can get rid of them. But you'll have to get rid of all the eggs and nits that may have spread to your clothes, bed linens, and other items. After you kill off the lice, you'll continue to itch for a while. Hydrocortisone cream can help.

STD 5
I had anal sex with another guy. I put on a condom before sex, of course, but it broke. It's been a few days since then, and now I've got this yellow drip from the tip of my penis. Otherwise, I feel fine. Won't it just go away?

Answer:

There are several infections that can cause these symptoms. One of them is gonorrhea, known to many as "the clap." Many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms. Untreated, it can lead to serious infections. Anyone who finds out he or she has an STD should tell all of his or her sexual contacts so they can be tested and, if infected, treated. Antibiotic treatment cures gonorrhea. See a doctor.

STD 6
A few months ago, during foreplay, my husband noticed a cluster of blisters on the inner lip of my vagina. It turned into a sore that hurt for about a week and then crusted over and went away. Now it's months later, and I have a nasty blister on my butt. My husband doesn't get any blisters on his genitals, although once in a while he gets a cold sore on his mouth. I don't think it's an STD, do you?

Answer:

Herpes is a viral infection. It comes in two types. Herpes type 1 usually causes mouth sores; herpes type 2 usually causes genital sores. However, either virus can infect either place. Herpes can spread during sex, including oral sex. The virus that causes herpes travels up nerves and rests in nerve bundles. When it becomes active, it goes back down the nerves to the skin. The genitals connect to the same nerve bundle as the buttocks. Sometimes a person who has had a genital infection has a later outbreak on the buttocks or thighs.

Herpes outbreaks don't always look like blisters. Sometimes they look like sores, cuts, pimples, or a rash. Genital herpes outbreaks cause pain, aching, itching, burning, and/or tingling on and around the sex organs. Sometimes there can be painful urination and a discharge from the urethra, but this is uncommon.

There's no cure for herpes. But today there are anti-herpes drugs that make outbreaks less severe. They also can prevent new outbreaks and may even make it harder to give herpes to another person.
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Wishing you a fun and Safe weekend!

Jacques


(To be continued)

Get the STD picture

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Check out the first two words of "sexually transmitted diseases." If you're having sex, you may be at risk.
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JACQUES' NOTE:

Upon perusing this (long) article in my WebMD Neswletter, I became increasingly impressed with its high degre of importance in any individual's over-all wellness.

Although this Blog is titled "Slim For Life", I feel that Total Health and Peace of Mind definitely include knowledge, awareness and self-control where our sex lives are concernd.

And so, I thank WebMD.com for this incisive contribution to public and individual Health.

Sincerely,

Jacques Girard, Ph.D.
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Do you know as much as you think you do about STDs? It's easy to find out. Read through the list of symptoms below, then name that STD.


STD 1
It's been three weeks since I had sex with that guy who didn't have a condom. And now I've got something a lot like the flu. I'm running a fever, and my head hurts. I'm so tired I don't feel like doing much of anything. But the last time I had the flu, I didn't have these mouth sores -- or this red rash on my chest. If it's not the flu, what is it?

Answer:

It might be HIV. No, this isn't AIDS -- not yet, and maybe not ever. These are some common symptoms of acute HIV infection. In 50% to 80% of patients, HIV infection starts with these flu-like symptoms. There's nearly always fatigue, fever, and headache. Mouth sores and a rash on the trunk are a tip-off that this isn't the flu. But not everybody with acute HIV infection gets these symptoms.

If you come down with flu-like symptoms two to four weeks after sex with someone who might have HIV infection, see a doctor right away. A normal HIV test won't work. Standard HIV tests look for antibodies in the blood, and your body hasn't made any yet. But there are tests that can tell whether you're infected. If you do have HIV, you may wish to start treatment right away. Studies suggest that treatment during acute HIV infection may be much more effective than later treatment.

STD 2
On my last night in southeast Asia, my clients threw a party that got pretty wild. I had a lot more to drink than I'd meant to, and ended up sleeping with one of the women who worked in the bar. I didn't use any protection. Dumb. Real dumb. A few days after coming home, I came down with painful little bumps on my penis. Now the bumps have turned into pus-filled open sores with raggedy edges. The sores are soft to the touch. Today there's a pain deep under the skin on the inside of my thigh. I guess I'd better see my doctor. What's she going to say -- and what should I tell my wife?

Answer:

Can you spell chancroid? Chancroid [pronounced SHANG-kroyd] is a bacterial infection. It's spread by contact with the sores. Women may not notice the symptoms until the lymph glands in the thigh -- on one or both sides -- get swollen and painful. If not treated, these glands mat together and form a kind of abscess known as a bubo.

Chancroid is more common in Africa and in Asia. Fortunately, this is a curable infection. See a doctor. And you have to tell your wife. Even if a woman doesn't seem to have symptoms, she may have been infected and should get a checkup.

(Continued in our next post)